Various alpha-cyano carbonates are disclosed in the literature. Alpha,alpha-(carbonyl-bis(oxy))bis-2-pyridineacetonitrile, ##STR2## is taught in Gude German Pat. No. 1,217,384 assigned to H. Bernia-Chemie G.m.b.H., May 26, 1966, C.A. 65, 5374 (1966). Cyanophenylmethyl ethyl ester of carbonic acid and the method of preparing it is taught by Uff et al. in "Formation of Cyanohydrin Carbonates of Aromatic Aldehydes and Aryl Heteroaryl Ketones," Synthetic Communications, 8 (3), 163-167 (1978).